Slashing across the Southland
by Paranoidgirl
Summary: What did go through the mind of the Southland Slasher as he did his grizzly work? Why did he do it? A journey from his dark, damaged perspective.
1. Chapter 1

Warning: this story dives into the mind of a very interesting, but also a very disturbed individual. Things will get BLEAK. Please continue accordingly.

* * *

You only really start to realize the importance of your humanity when you lost it.

At least, that's what happened to me.

Who am I? I don't think at this point a name will be the complete answer. So rather than giving that, I will give... the story of what made me who I am.

Before all this, I was a car mechanic, working at a local scrapyard, gutting trashed cars for anything salvageable. Not the best paying job in the world, but for a high school dropout like me, it did the trick. I did better than my pal Memphis (His parents loved the King. He couldn't care less), who despite all the time he spent reading, never quite managed to get a steady job. Still a great guy though. I met my wife thanks to him. She worked at a local diner and being the shy guy that I was, I never took a chance with her until Memphis intervened and set us up. I never quite thanked him for the best thing that I had in my life.

Well, one of the best. A few years after we got married, my daughter was born. Two years later, my son.

Of course... not everything was sunshine and roses. As a waitress and a grease monkey, we weren't exactly raking in the dough. In fact, more often than not, we were almost living on a prayer. Dirt poor. What little savings we head we tried to put in our kids' futures.

Yeah, our life was hardly ideal. But we managed. We had a roof over our head, we had diner on the table every day and we had each other. It was hard, but rewarding.

It all got torn away from me.

In one night, I lost everything important to me. Even my own life, though I sometimes wish that would have ended right there. So I wouldn't have this curse keeping me walking, even in Death.


	2. Chapter 2

"You better have a good reason for calling me on my day off." I told my boss on the phone. It was evening and we just finished diner. "Unfinished business? What kind of unfinished business? You can't just spring that shi- sort of thing on me." I censored myself as my daughter was listening in. "And definitely don't spring THAT on me." I told him, however, as always, he managed to convince me. "Fine. I'll come over." I conceded. Sighing, I hung up the horn as I saw Suzy look up at me.

"Dad? Was that work?" She asked. She was so smart for her age... I just sighed.

"Yeah... they couldn't get a hold of Memphis. Again. So they're asking if I can take over his shift. Again." I told her. This seemed to worry her.

"I've heard there's bad men in the neighbourhood." She said. I sighed. The place we lived was one of the more... unsafe parts of the city and burglaries and other crimes were frequent. But if we could've moved, we would've...

"Don't worry Hun, I'll come home as soon as I can." I told her, picking her up and hugging her. "Then I'll stay here to keep the scary men away, 'kay?"

"Kay!" She said, as I placed her down.

"How 'bout you look after your little brother until I get back?"  
"Sure, dad!" And with that she was off to do so. I smiled, before sighing and heading for the door.

"How much you wanna bet my boss will force me to work my own night shift right after this again?" I told my wife as I prepared to leave.

"He won't. And even if he does, you think you can get back as soon as possible? You know, there have been burglaries around the street."  
"No worries, I will." And with a swift kiss, I was out of the door. This shouldn't take too long. Just saying 'No' to their attempt to rope me into working the late shift.

That didn't work. And about an hour into my own shift, Memphis showed up, looking a tad worse for wear.

"Decided to come around after all?" I told him, making it clear I didn't like him scurrying in after most of the heavy lifting was already done.

"Sorry…. sorry…. This college professor I'm taking a course from is diabolical." He said, taking place behind his desk.

"Yeah, so is our boss when he finds out you've been skipping out." I told him. He just looked at me with his trademark 'Deer in the headlights' expression. Of someone in over his head.

"Listen, I-I'm sorry, okay? I'll make it up to you. Promise. Just… don't tell, okay? Both my education and my work are hanging in the balance and I really need both…." He pleaded with me. I just sighed. I really should just stop giving him breaks. But he was a friend and I knew he tried his damndest.

"Just try to stop doing all things at once." I said, as he smiled at me gratefully.

"I'll make it up to you, I swear." He told me, as he took his place behind the desk. I just headed back to the cars…


	3. Chapter 3

A few hours passed like this. In about the third, the phone rang, my wife.

"Yeah, so I…. couldn't get out of it." I meekly told her. I could just about feel her glare from across town.

 _You better get your ass down here when you're done right away. I saw strangers walking the streets and I'm not trusting it._

"Don't worry, as soon as I'm done, I'll be on my way home. Promise."  
 _You better._

With that, she hung up. I just sighed.

"She's giving you shit?" Memphis asked.

"Can't blame her. There's been burglaries in the street and we don't exactly have the luxury to lose what little we have." I replied.

"You wanna go home? Like… I can handle a shift on my own. Would be the least I could do for you." Memphis offered. I shook my head. Even under these circumstances, I wasn't one to skip out work.

"If our boss finds out my ass is fired, you know how the guy is." I answered. The phone rang again.

 _Where are you?! They're inside the house. INSIDE!_ My wife shouted in a panic as I too felt it creep up on me. _Omigod! Omigod they've found the kids they've….!  
Daddy!_

A gunshot.

The line went dead. A mind-numbing fear spread over me as I didn't even bother with Memphis' worried stammering and ran off. Usually it took me about twenty minutes to get from home to work. This time, I wouldn't be surprised if I got there in ten minutes flat. And it still wasn't fast enough...

I-I saw them. I would forever see them. Dead. Shot. I didn't make it. I couldn't protect them from… from…

"Shit!" I could hear from behind as I furiously turned around as I saw some lowlife with a gun looking at me in surprise, obviously not expecting someone. "You said the house was clear!" He said to someone else. It didn't matter. I didn't think, just charged at the man with an angry roar. This was soon halted as I could hear a gunshot and I stopped in my tracks, hand now clutching my stomach as blood seeped through my fingers. However, it didn't stop me for long, as I still stumbled forward, eyes set on the man that shot my family. I was gonna KILL that son of a...

Two more shots, one from the front and one from the back. Both went through my chest as I crumpled down on the floor. I tried to get up, but to no avail as I could feel my life seep away from me.

"Jesus! Did you see his eyes?!"  
"No time, man, someone else is coming. Just take the cash and run." With that, they were gone. At least... I think they were. The edges of my vision were starting to darken as I laid there, a pool of my own blood forming. It was quite clear to me that I'd be dead in minutes. In that haze, I could see... something approaching me. A shadow, almost. At my side, it seemed to shift into a human. I was already far away...

"You better not be a waste." It said, before picking me up and held me close against him, his head in my neck. I could feel a sharp pain. Not that it mattered. I could feel myself fading away and slipping in the darkness. It was almost over...

After that I just... lost all sense of time. The only thing I was aware of was my heartbeat becoming so loud I could hear it like thunderclaps before it... stopped. My heart stopped. Yet I was still aware. Still... alive? No... no, that was impossible! Bolting upright, I found myself on the couch of... the salvage yard? The fuck? My confusion only grew with every other minute as I got up in a daze, scratching an itch in my neck absentmindedly. Did that mean that all of this was... a dream? There wasn't any other way. My bullet wounds were gone, and I wasn't home. Yes... that was it. A nightmare. I probably just drank too much and someone who knew me from the garage simply dragged me back here. Good... good. Would also explain the overall shittiness I was feeling. I just needed a splash of water in my face and a phone to start explaining things to my wife. Heading to the small bathroom, I did just that. However, as my senses cleared I noticed something in the mirror... or rather, nothing in the mirror. I rubbed my eyes, but right about now I was fully awake and very aware. No reflection... that... that was impossible. I pressed my hand against the glass to make sure that is wasn't some trick or that I wasn't staring at a wall, but no. It was a mirror, it didn't show me. But how? Why? The answer hit me like a brick to the head, but it just left me more confused. The only thing that didn't have reflections were vampires. But... but vampires were fictional. Weren't they? I used my tongue to feel my teeth, only for it to be nicked open by... fangs. About then I couldn't deny it any further. I was a vampire. But how? Why? Who? At that moment I remembered the last moment of my dream, even though it started to sound less like that.

"That... thing." I whispered to myself. Of course! It all made sense now. Well, most of it, anyway. But why would that creature turn me into a vampire? The other things now started to form clearly in my mind, but soon I wished I was back to being confused. That meant that... "No... No...!" I whispered, feeling the dread rising as I felt my upper body. three holes in my shirt. Two at the chest, one at the stomach. Blood around them. "NO!" With that, I bolted out of the door, almost knocking it out of his hinges as I ran back home at breakneck speed. All five streets. Once there, I was stopped by yellow tape and a cop car with the sirens on. I ignored them as I stepped through them.

"Excuse me? Sir?" A cop said, trying to stop me. "This is a Crime Scene, no unauthorized personnel allo..." With that I swiped him away, sending him flying. Not that I cared... I just hurried to the spot where it all happened. Three trolleys... three bodies.

"No..." I said, sagging to my knees. This was the ultimate proof. After that I just... fell apart. My fists slammed in the floor multiple times before I threw my head back letting out a loud, animalistic roar filled with the rage and pain I felt coursing through me. Gone. Gone gone gone... My family was gone, my whole life was gone. All within one night. All because some people decided that honest work just wasn't their cup of tea. It wasn't fair it just... wasn't fair!

"Sir?" Someone asked as I turned around fiercely. Another cop. "Are you the... ah..."  
"I am." I growled at him.

"I see... my condolences about your loss." The cop said. "If... if it makes you feel better, we managed to catch the perpetrators."  
"All of them?"

"All of them. So at least they'll pay for what they did." This calmed me down... somewhat. Arrested... Something inside me told me that that wasn't enough. It would never be enough and these monsters deserved far more than just a prison sentence. Something violent and dark that wasn't there before twisted and turned inside me, wanting to get out. But I managed to quench it. The Justice system would take care of it. I was sure of that.

"I hope they rot." I growled, getting up.  
"Understandable. Now, Sir, I ah..." The cop started again. "I need you to step aside, this is still a crime scene. Do you, ah... have a place to stay for the night?"

"Don't worry about me. Make sure you get enough evidence to lock these monsters up for life." I told him, before heading out, casting one final glance at the three bodies. I had to squeeze my eyes shut to not lose it again as I went back to the salvage yard. Where else could I go? I had nothing else anymore...


	4. Chapter 4

So there I was, wobbling purposeless through the night. After taking in everything that happened and letting it sink in, I started to realize this immense thirst. Oh, right. I was a vampire now. I didn't have to guess what was happening to me. Luckily, there was some lone pedestrian in the parking garage from home to the salvage yard and the drinking came surprisingly natural. Once at the salvage yard I just... sat there, head in my hands. What else could I do? What else was I living for? As the daytime approached I closed the blinds tightly as I laid down on the couch, curling up. I felt cold. Not even my own body was warm.

* * *

"Hey…. Hey!" Someone shouted, shaking my shoulder roughly. I almost instantly woke up, flinging myself in a sitting position. "Jesus!" I looked up. Memphis. "You scared the shit out of me." He started. "First you just dash out of here without a word… Then I got a call from the police about what happened…. and now you're here…" It was obvious he was trying to comprehend the situation. "What happened to you?" I just turned away. How could I explain? I hardly knew what happened to me, myself.

"I… don't freak out, but I…" I didn't know how to start, so I decided to make it clear by showing. I got up and walked to the small bathroom this place had.

"What does that….?" Memphis started, as I just pointed at the mirror that reflected him, but not me. I could see things slowly dawn on him. "Vampire?" He asked, surprisingly calm. "You're a vampire? Why did… how did that happen?"

"I don't… I don't know. I got shot and then…." I muttered.

"Shot…?" Memphis asked, as I just looked down. "What happened?" He softly asked. "Just… start from the beginning. I promise I won't doubt you." I just nodded as I started talking about what transpired. It was difficult to talk about it without flying either into a rage or starting to sob loudly, but I managed. Barely.

"I just…. I just don't know what to say…" Memphis said when I was finished, his hand on my shoulder in a gesture of comfort. I ignored him for a long while. Something about him felt… distant. Off. Even if he himself hadn't changed. He was still human while I was now… something else. Something dead. "But… they know who did it, right? They'll get their due. Trust me." I just looked at him before nodding slowly. This caused a rather awkward silence. "So… you got a place to stay? I don't think crashing here's the best thing."

"Not really… Guess it's my turn to ask you for a favor." I said, as we both managed a small smile, despite the situation.

"Don't worry. You can, for now, crash at my place. As luck would have it, I had these shutters installed recently. Not a ray of sunlight gets in there."

"With your salary? Seriously. Learn spending." I couldn't help but comment. It felt good, nitpicking such a small thing. Felt… human. Something told me I had to hold on to that.


	5. Chapter 5

A few nights passed. I spent most of it at the police station, trying to get information on the criminals. In the end I did. But I wished I hadn't….

"ACQUITTED?!" I roared at the officers, making them both back away. "You told me they were caught red-handed, that you had the evidence! How in the hell did they get ACQUITTED?!"

"I-I don't know. There must be some sort of glitch in the system… But we can't do anything but let them go…"

"Oh I could tell you what you could do, you could…!" I started, before I felt hands pulling me back.

"You have to forgive him… This is obviously a painful topic. But no need to get feral over it." Memphis said, emphasising the word 'feral'. "C'mon, let's get you some fresh air." With that, he started pulling me outside. After a while I complied.

"The fuck was that all about?" Memphis asked once he figured I was calm enough as I just sat on a bench, looking down.

"The fuck do you think?!"  
"Not like that. You were ready to tear that man's head off. Like, for real." Memphis said to me. "Like, the last thing you need is them figuring out you're a goddamn vampire."

"I don't care!" I shouted at him, my emotions getting the better of me. "They're… they're getting away with this! They're getting away with murdering my family! I-I can't let that happen!"

"Please… please calm down." Memphis tried, voice going from angry to scared. Why was he scared? It wasn't like I was going to attack HIM.

"They'll pay! Even if I have to hunt them down myself, they'll all pay!" I roared.

"You're just going to hurt yourself more…." Memphis tried. I didn't listen as I turned around and stomped off. This anger. This… this rage. It was taking a hold of me. It clawed at me, wanting to get out. To punish those that escaped their judgement. "Please, just…" Memphis tried, grabbing my arm.

"Don't. Touch me." I hissed, fiercely shaking it off. "Don't do anything. Just… just leave me alone!" With that I left. He might have shouted my name. It didn't register. I just had to…. to leave. Be alone. I started running. Didn't stop until I was at the outskirts of town. Until forest surrounded me.

Griffith Park.

Never been here, despite it being so close. Speaking of which, was it this close? Or did I run that fast and long? This new body… this dead body… I hardly knew anything about it. What I could do. Or couldn't….

"I need time." I told myself, as I stared up at the night sky. For some reason, it soothed me. This place soothed me. The city was always a cascade of noise and smells and… people. But I never had an issue with it. I did now. But then again, I was different now. All my senses were so much sharper. So much better. Of course a bustling city would've set me on edge with them. But out here, in the forest…

It did nothing to dissuade the rage, though.

That was still potent to the point it was all-consuming. It was eating me up inside. I had to… had to do something. Anything.

But what?

I shook my head to clear it. Find out their names. That would be a great first step.


	6. Chapter 6

Heading back to the city was easy enough. Now I had to find a way to get the information I needed. The police was…. Less than helpful.

"What do you mean I can't get their names?!" I asked them. "They killed my family!"

"That's exactly why." The officer replied. "You look like you'll take their heads off if you ever see them again." I looked away. He wasn't wrong… "So just… go away. Move if it really bothers you so much." Move… as if it was that easy. I couldn't move. Not when things are like this. There had to be something I could do… I walked outside, still trying to think of something. It was then that something caught my eyes. Or my ears, more like. A door opening to the side of the building. Impossible to hear as a human, but loud and clear the way I was now. And when I checked, I saw that they didn't close it behind them. I could use this… Staying in the shadows, I made my way towards and through the door.

"You staying for the late shift?" I could hear someone say as I made my way to a dark corner.

"Forget it, after dealing with that fucking guy again? I'm off. Later." I pressed myself against the wall as one of the officers made it's way past me outside. I had to be careful. Don't breathe…. Heh.

Turning my head, I saw that his office was empty. There was a computer there… good. I could use that. I might have not been a genius with them, but I got by alright. Soon enough, I managed to get information about the people that did this… Things I could use to track them down and… and then what? I had no clue. But I had to do something. Anything. Even if it was just to keep these dark emotions… these dark feelings at bay. This… this would help. Yes. It would. What better way to handle emotions then to confront them, right? Memorizing their names and addresses came surprisingly easy. Even phone numbers. And I taught our little shop should get its act together…

As I went in one of the parking garages in town to spend the day, I looked over my… targets. I didn't know most of these people. But one of them… one of them lived in our street. That turned on the rage again. I might have passed this man on the street. Maybe even said hello. Hell, he might've appeared at my work!

This son of a bitch would be the first.

So here I was, back…. Home. It still looked so familiar. But it felt different. Off. I was no longer part of this place. As if I died that night… Well, I sort of did. As I entered, I couldn't help but expect my daughter bouncing up at me, expecting a hug. My wife busy in the kitchen… my baby boy… keeping himself amused with what little toys we could afford… It made me… angry. Enraged.

They were… their lives were cut short. So very short… and for what? We weren't rich. We hardly had enough money for a car.

They'd pay…. They'd all pay….

No. No… Don't think like that, I commanded myself. I wasn't some sort of violent criminal. I mean, I had my temper flares, but I wouldn't just assault people. Even the monsters that took my family. As tempting as it was… I just had to quell those feelings, like a human being.

My hand hovered over the phone. I had to do this right….

Dialing the number, I still wasn't sure how to do things. If I still needed air, this was the part I'd take a deep breath to cool my head...

 _Hello?_

Came from the other line. I recognized the voice from…. That moment. Again my anger flared.

"We need to talk." I managed to keep my voice calm enough.

"About what?" He asked. Before I could answer with… I don't know what, he already spoke again. "Is this about the job for next week?" Job? What kind of job? I admit that I froze, not knowing what else to do. "You want to meet at the pier tomorrow night?" That helped.

"Yes." I said. "Meet me after sunset at the end of the pier so we can… discuss things."

"Good. See you there at eight. Later."  
"Later…" I said, hanging up the phone. This was it… I could confront them. At least one of them, anyway...


	7. Chapter 7

The next night I was at the appointed place almost directly after sunset. I was anxious, as I stood there, arms crossed. Soon enough, he was there. I was no longer anxious. Now I was angry.

"Hey, you're not the guy we needed…" He said. "If he couldn't come, he could've just said that… Jackass." He glanced at me. "Did we meet before? I can't help but feel you're familiar…" My jaw dropped.

"You don't remember who I am?!"

"Not really, did we meet before or…?" He took a closer look at me. "Oh shit! It's you! Didn't we kill you?"

"You did… You took away my life!"

"Dude, we didn't mean to. We didn't expect people to be there and we freaked…" He said, backing away with his hands in front of himself. "So could you just…. chill?"

Chill?

CHILL?!

Just talking to him filled me with red-hot rage. This murderer…. This… Monster just didn't care... I didn't think as I charged forward, feeling my hands twist into claws that dug in him. Flesh was tearing. Blood was pooling. Screams were filling the night sky. It felt good... It felt so good.

Once the red haze lifted, there was nothing but a large pool of blood on the boardwalk. Must've tossed him into the ocean... I looked at my hands, also covered in crimson. Still twisted into large, inhuman claws. This should scare me, according to some fleeting rationality in my mind. Yet it didn't. At all.

I started laughing.

I felt so good. So satisfied.

So alive.

For the first time after that… that tragedy, I felt alive.

And I knew what I had to do. My existence had meaning again.

Vengeance


	8. Chapter 8

The second one didn't take long for me to find, these people were pretty close to one another. Not to mention they were still at it. Still robbing houses. This added a new layer. I had to stop them. To prevent new tragedies from happening. This was… this was my calling.

The next one was back in Santa Monica. He was less of an idiot and didn't believe me at first when I called him. However, all it took was claiming I was loaded and he instantly changed his tune.

Again I waited on the pier to confront him. He seemed to instantly recognize me. And instantly realize he was in deep shit.

"Y-you…!" He exclaimed, back against the Pier's railing. I just grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him up like he was nothing.

"Yes. Me. And by now I figure you know what will happen." I told him. "By now you probably know what happened to your friend."

"H-he disappeared?" The man tried. Huh. Maybe I shouldn't have tossed him into the ocean. I wouldn't make that mistake again. "You're going to make me disappear too?"

"Far from it." I said as I couldn't hold back a grin. "I have a message for your friends."

"I-I'll be sure to tell them anything!"

"Oh don't worry. You won't have to tell them anything. You won't be giving the message." I told him, smiling as I showed my fangs and released my claws. "You ARE the message." With that I threw him down on the floor. He wouldn't get away. Not even in Death.

Once I was finished, I looked at my work and couldn't help but smirk at the corpse that was strung up. Blood was pooling all over the wooden floor of the pier, along with some more… chunky bits.

This would get the message across.

Still, as voices started to reach my ears, I hurried out of there. I wasn't an idiot. I needed to leave.

I found myself in an old, run-down diner across from where I used to work. Used to frequent this place a lot. Now it just felt… alien to me. The patrons. The owners. I was so different from them now. As I contemplated this from a bench, I couldn't help but notice… something on my arm. Snaking up it were patches of skin that were… different from the rest. Almost like some sort of ink from a tattoo. I admit I kind of liked it. For now it distracted me from some of the more… alienating aspects of my new body. Despite outwardly still looking human, I was so different from all around me.

Well, most around me. I noticed something about the person entering around this time. Even if I didn't feel it, I could sense it. He too was a vampire. The guy seemed young. Red blouse, equally red hair, obvious dye-job. Something about him was different from the other patrons. Familiar. Yet still, not completely like me.

"Hi there." He said while walking up to me.

"Something I can help you with?" I asked him, crossing my arms to show him I wasn't one for small talk.

"So, uhm, you like Santa Monica?" He tried. Oh, great, now he was trying to _socialize._

"I guess." I curtly told him, straining my words to make sure he gets the hint.

"You seem preoccupied." The guy asked me, obviously NOT getting the hint, raising an eyebrow as I lowered mine in a scowl. "You okay?"

"I don't see how that's any business of yours." I growled. This seemed to do the trick as he raised his hands in a bit of a dramatic gesture.

"Alright, I'm going." He said, before turning around with a bit of a flourish.

"Goodbye, then." I said, still keeping my eyes on him as he left. Were all Vampires like this one? I hoped not. How many of 'us' were there, anyway? You'd think I'd met more of them by now.

Those musings were cut short when new people entered the Diner. Others quickly left and when they saw me, what appeared to be their leader approached me.

"Get the fuck out." He simply said. I didn't move. "I said..."  
"I heard you." I told him, still not moving. This seemed to annoy them and I could see hands going towards guns.

"Could you please just leave?" The owner now said. I sighed.

"Fine." I conceded, before leaving. "I'm wasting my time here, anyway." I muttered under my breath. As I exited the Diner, it was raining. It rained a lot here the last few weeks. I kind of liked it. It felt strangely cleansing. It cleared my head. My killings were known and I had the feeling that even these low lifes might put things together. For the last two, I had to play things a little smarter. I still had one of their numbers. I wonder… If they could be tempted.

That's where I found myself. At a payphone, trying very hard to act casual with one of my family's murderers. I should also stop killing them in Santa Monica… People could get suspicious. Maybe Downtown…


	9. Chapter 9

So there I was. Downtown Los Angeles.

I hated it.

The cacophony of sounds was never something I liked, but now… It was almost unbearable. Even at night, there were just too many people. Talking, walking, sometimes even shooting. It was a goddamn mess. I eventually found an old, rundown building that appeared to be completely empty. While I wouldn't call it my 'Home', I'd at least plan some things here. That said, this place didn't have any sort of phone. That was… unhelpful. I was going to have to use the payphone next to 'Venture Tower' or whatever it was called.

 _Milton here._

That voice… I could feel myself starting to shake. Every time I heard their voices it brought me back.

"Mister Milton…" I managed. "I might need your help."

 _You do, huh? How'd you even know we were looking for a job?_

"I have my ways." I lied. I was making this plan up as I went along from the start, so why stop now? "So are you interested or not?"

 _Always._

"That said, it might be something I need two people for."

 _Oh, no problem. I've got my pal Muddy who can help me out._

Muddy…. Mudd. The other and final one of them. This had to be a sign that what I was doing was the right thing.

"Good. Good. I'll give you my address so we can discuss the details in person." I said and did so. After a confirmation, I hung up and headed back. It was in a few days, so I had time to…

"HEY!" Someone yelled at me. Someone familiar.

"Memphis?" I asked as my old friend rushed up to me.

"Where have you been?!" Memphis shouted as he stopped in front of me. "And please…. PLEASE tell me you don't have anything to do with…" This caused me to stare him into silence. "Let's get somewhere more private…" He said, taking my arm. I fiercely shook it off.

"Don't. Touch me." I hissed. Memphis just sighed and beaconed me to follow. I complied as we went to one of the city's parking garages.

"So did you do it?"

"Do what?"  
"You fucking know what!" Memphis now roared. "Even if you didn't do it, I get the feeling you'd know about it." He continued a lot softer. "So please… tell me you didn't… Didn't kill those people." I just crossed my arms and looked away. "Good God…"

"They had it fucking coming." I growled.

"Listen, I get that what happened to you was fucked up… but that doesn't mean you can just murder people!"

"Then what was I supposed to do? Just let them walk?" I retaliated. "Just let them… get on an possibly cause another tragedy? Harm other people?"

"This isn't the solution… This is inhumane…" Something about that wording struck me. Inhumane. Not human. At least not anymore. It pissed me off to hear someone who I once called a friend talk to me like that.

"Maybe because I'm not human anymore." I hissed. "And you know what? I don't care." I smiled. "If anything, it gave me the opportunity to bring these monsters to justice."

"I just… I just want to see you turn into a monster yourself." I just looked at my hands.

"It's a little too late for that, isn't it?" I softly said, but I was getting angry. Who was he to tell me what I was? What was he? A human. Just a human. And currently a human that looked horrified. But not at me. At something behind me. I turned around and saw why: the shadows were moving. They stopped after I turned completely.

"Oh God…" I could hear Memphis say in abject terror. "Oh God…" That said, I couldn't hear him. I just looked at the shadows. Of the pillars. Of Memphis. I placed my hand against the wall and as on command, the shadows moved towards it. I removed the hand and they sprung back into place. I touched it again and again they moved. This made me smile. The sheer possibilities of what I could do washed over me as I turned around.

Only to see Memphis was gone. He fled.

My smile dropped at that. Was it really that more frightening than being a vampire in the first place? I didn't get it.

That said, I simply huffed slightly before going back to the shadows on the wall. His loss. What use was he to me, anyway? Now _this_ was a game changer.

Back at the dump I somehow made my home, the next few nights was about trying to see what I could do with these… shadow powers. It wasn't easy, but soon I managed to use them to engulf myself, becoming near invisible in the shadows. It also seemed to explain the darkness on my arms. Shadows that seemed to cling to me. I couldn't quite use it for anything yet, but there was a comfort it brought. As if the shadows were always with me, even when they weren't there.

This took a few nights. And the meeting with the last two killers was fast approaching. I grew restless. Eventually, I decided to give Milton another call. Just to make sure. So of course it was his answering machine.

"Mister Milton…" I started. "You know who this is and I do hope you're still on for tonight. Meet upon location across from the bar by the underpass. Bring your associate Mister Durbin as it is a two man job that I'm proposing. With any luck the two of you are already underway and I shall see you soon. Goodbye." With that I hung up. Now all I had to do… was wait.


	10. Chapter 10

Or not. When I arrived, at least one of them was already there. He seemed annoyed at waiting. I just slinked in the shadows, letting them envelop me. I slowly approached him like that. I would savor this moment.

"Of course Muddy has skipped out again…" He muttered before I got up and appeared in front of him. He startled, before dread spread across his face.

"Y-you..." Milton said to me, taking a few steps back, terrified. Good. I didn't have to go through that again.

"That's right, ME." I hissed, approaching as I could feel my anger taking over, the shadows transforming my hands into claws, my vision being swallowed by a red haze.

"B-but we shot you. You died!"

"I did. But I came back. And I think you know damn well why I came back." I said, grabbing his throat with one hand and lifting him up. "You're going to suffer for what you fucking did."

"I-it was an accident, I swear!"

This again…

"I'm fucking tired of hearing the same shit from you monsters!" I yelled. "You killed them and I don't care what you tell yourself to sleep at night. I'll make you pay like all the others." I said as I let the crimson shroud take over. I didn't think. Just savored the screams and the blood spreading around.

This felt good.

So good...

I almost felt alive again.

When I was finished, the place was in shambles and I actually managed to literally rip the guy's head off.

One more down. Only one more to go.

I rifled through the body's pockets, finding a wallet and a small key card for the Luckee Star Motel in Hollywood. It wasn't much, but it was probably my best bet. Tossing it aside, I went outside.

Onto Hollywood it was.


	11. Chapter 11

Taking a cab felt strange. I wasn't a stranger to it when I was still alive, not being able to afford a car. But now… It just felt off. It felt human in a way that I wasn't. Not any more.

Luckily the driver wasn't talkative. We just quietly drove to Hollywood.

Once there, I could already see the Motel. Paying quietly, I made my way to it.

"Good evening." The receptionist told me. I hardly even noticed it as I made my way to Durbin's room.

Locked.

With a frustrated growl, I yanked it open as if it wasn't. No one there. Yet. Great, I had to wait again. But maybe this was important.

This was it.

The final monster to slay.

What would happen after? What was I going to do with my life?

I absentmindedly pulled something out of my pocket. A business card for the place I used to work… The idea of just returning to my old life evaporated as soon as it came up as I simply tossed it away. That would be impossible. Even if it's just for the practical fact that I was probably fired at this point. So then what? Find out more about vampires? What little I knew about it, I didn't want to. One just left me for dead after turning me into one of them and the other… the one at the diner was just a nosy prick. I sighed before I decided to set this aside for now. Just focus on this last task. And right on time, I could hear the door open as I got up and Durbin, or 'Muddy' entered. I recognized him instantly and rage once more filled me as he looked me over, gasping.

"Good God!" Muddy exclaimed, eyes betraying he already knew why I was here. Or at least that he was in serious danger. I didn't waste any time as I hit him. This sent him across the small hotel room. Right into whoever opened the door. I saw a flash of crimson. Startled light blue eyes. However, instinct had taken hold.

"My work here is done." I said before dashing out of the window of the small bathroom. Someone saw me. FUCK. I had to go. I had to hide. But where? Instinct was taking over as I just… fled.

Home. Or close to it. The place where I worked. Was this so etched into my memory that it was the first place I'd go? Because of course. I shook it off as I headed to the main yard, filled with gutted cars. Almost immediately my boss' dogs started barking from their pens. However, one glare shut them up as they cowered away in fear. In any case, I was safe from whoever saw me at the motel…

I didn't even finish that taught as I saw the door of the small office open. The same person. And now that I looked him over, it was also the same person from the diner. Another vampire. Was he following me?

"Hey!" The other vampire called as I dashed away, in full survival mode. I kicked and pushed some of the junk his way, trying to get him off my tail. He almost supernaturally dodged whatever I threw at him, making me even more on edge. Eventually we got to the empty centre of the yard. No more running…

"No!" I called out as he approached me. "Back off, Vampire. Stay the fuck back! I did nothing to you!" I roared at the intruder now. He just pointed at where he came from with a look of indignant astonishment.

"You just threw a fucking car at me!" He retaliated before closing his eyes and pinching his nose to calm himself down. "Just… just tell me why. Why did you kill all these people?"

"Why the hell do you care? I don't give a damn if you understand." I growled at him.

"Humor me." He simply said, crossing his arms. This only made me more mad. Why did this… this stranger think he had any right…!

"Why? So you can pass judgement on me?! So you can decide if those murderers deserved to be gutted? You'll never know how it feels. NEVER!" This made him back away, holding his hands up.

"I'm not here to judge. I just… I want to understand, okay? This probably wasn't your idea of a good time so… again, why?" This calmed me down somewhat. But it didn't make things better. It just made me… remember. Still, if he wanted to know…

"My family… My children were _butchered_ by small time criminals just looking to rob a house, steal a car, take whatever. No sense to any of it. No plan. No ransom. Just kill them, because… why?" My voice broke. I broke. "Because they were there? In the way?"

"I… I don't know what to say." The other vampire softly said. It hardly registered.

"Not one of them paid. My family dead, my life gone, I'm just supposed to let that happen?!"

"I can understand how that's terrible, but getting I don't think the answer is violent, painful revenge."

"Revenge. Justice. Whatever you want to call it. All I thought about is taking these evil animals, ripping them to shreds and licking the blood from my claws."

"Couldn't you use a less conspicuous way? This might blow the lid on the whole 'vampire' thing." He said. So now he was scolding me?! "Nobody wants that."

"At least I put it to use! How many vampires have used their abilities for a just cause? At least I did something!"

"You certainly did." The sarcastic little shit quipped. "So what's next? What are you plans for the future?" I couldn't help but shrug.

"I don't know. Butchering those bastards was the only thing that made me feel anything since my family was torn from me." An idea was brewing in my mind. "I'm sure there are others out there whose crimes have gone unpunished."

"Going full on Batman, huh? Or Charles Bronson more like." The other vampire said. "You'd think they like that? Your family? Think they'd be proud of you? Seeing you like this?" This hit me like a brick to the face. As if a part of me that I had buried suddenly woke up again. My family… My daughter. My wife. My son… They'd be… they'd be horrified.

"No… God no!" I exclaimed, holding my head. The realization was starting to hurt. To physically hurt. "It's got to stop. I can't live like this." I looked up at the other one, who looked somewhat uncomfortable but I could see a gleam of sympathy in his eyes. "You're right. Oh God, you're right! I'll never do it again. I swear! Forgive me!" I didn't know who that last sentence was meant for. The person in front of me? The people I killed? My family? I didn't know. I just… I just… I stood there, almost numbed by the realization of what I had become, a hand reached my shoulder as the other vampire looked at me with compassion.

"Go live." He said, before turning and leaving. I was... once again... so lost. Go live? How? I-I had nothing anymore. Not even my rage, which I was now so ashamed off. What else was there for me? What else could I do? These questions kept plaguing me as I left the junkyard. I needed to leave. This place. This city. Humanity altogether.


	12. Chapter 12

This brought me to Hyde park again. I faintly remember visiting with my family. My daughter loved it. My son wasn't born yet. We 'hunted' for animals back then. Not to kill, just to see them.

Just thinking about it now made my chest ache.

I just couldn't imagine how they would react seeing me like this. A serial killer. A monster... I shook my head, as I just walked along until I reached a hill. I knew this hill. After a day of hiking, the three of us sat down and enjoyed the sunset. It was beautiful. That whole day was beautiful.

I just sat down. Would a sunrise be just as beautiful? I wanted to find out. It didn't even occur to me that it would kill me. Well… it sort of did. I didn't care. In fact, it felt like something welcoming. Just being reduced to ashes to be scattered to the wind. I wasn't fooling myself that I would go to any sort of afterlife where I would see my family again. But at least the aching would stop and I wouldn't be a danger.

So I sat there, waiting for the inevitable when someone approached me. Another man, no, another vampire.

"Now there's an unexpected sight. Didn't expect another kindred around. This place is far too dangerous for us." He said. I didn't answer. "You do know that, right?"

"Does it matter?" I answered, hoping he'd get the hint.

"You know, the sun is about to come up." The man tried.

"I know." I simply told him.

"You know that's lethal for our kind, right?"  
"That was the idea."

"That's how it is, huh?" The man said, before taking a seat next to him. I just stared… that wasn't the reaction I expected. "Well, I think I can keep you company for a little while before I get back to my shelter." He explained.

"Sure…" I muttered, going back to looking at the horizon.

"At least you'll die looking at something great. At least so I've heard. Sunrises from this hill are supposed to be beautiful." Okay, now he started to annoy me.  
"What. Ever." I said to him. There was a rather uneasy silence.

"Y'know, there's a place for two if you change your mind…"  
"Why do you think I will?"

"Listen…" The man tried, suddenly sounding very…. Compassionate? "I don't want to judge what you do… but is this really the answer to things?"

"Trust me, it is." I said. "People will be safer this way."

"There's plenty around that will make that sacrifice pretty meaningless." Okay, now he was just being a dick. Still, it hit home. Just killing myself wouldn't make a goddamn difference.

"I just… What am I supposed to do?" I said. "I feel so lost…"

"I'm not going to sell you some bullshit about it getting easier over time. All I can tell you is… You don't have to do this alone." The man next to me answered.

"You have no idea what I've been through…"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But that doesn't mean I might be able to help." Help… Such a simple concept that had become so foreign. I just looked down as the stranger got up. "Think about it. And if you make up your mind, why don't you try hitting up The Last Round? You're likely to find some like-minded people there." He started to walk away.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Just call me Nines."

With that, I was alone again with my mind. My terribly chaotic, confused and downright hurting mind.

Help...

Some part of me scoffed at the idea. The same part that egged him on to turn into a killer. And try as I might… I couldn't crush that part of me. It would always be there.

So what now?

The Last Round… wasn't that the bar from across where I killed one of them? Now there was a coïncidence. Maybe it was providence of some sort.

"It can't be much worse than this…" As I got up and went looking for shelter from the sun.

The Last Round…

Looked rowdy. But even standing outside, I could feel a presence. There were vampires here. People like… like me.

It still felt odd. Even though I met two of them now. Were there more? There had to be. How would they react? How would I react?

So many questions ran through my head as my hand hovered over the handle. But I did notice that most of them were… hopeful. Insecure, but hopeful.

"Maybe there's a chance for me yet." I muttered to myself as I opened the door to a new future.

* * *

A/N: And... that's it.

Well, not really. But this particular story's finished. There's plenty of questions. How will the Anarchs deal with the Southland Slasher? Who was his Sire and why did he do it? What is Memphis' deal any way? I'm planning to expound on this eventually, but I first want to get some smaller projects for other fandoms out of the way.  
Still, I hope this story was enjoyable.


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